Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Hello all –
It has been some time now since we have updated our blog. Only yesterday, however, I started the radiation treatments which will continue for seven weeks. I wanted to keep everyone up to date on this, and tell you a little about the treatment. Photographs will come soon because this treatment is really unbelievable and difficult to describe.
The actual radiation itself is painless and brief. Once things get rolling, the radioactive beam is on less than ten minutes, and that comes in bursts. The nightmare of the treatment is getting prepped for the beam.
I’m not sure if I have shared this with you, but the treatment involves the use of a sophisticated mask which covers my head and torso approximately down to my heart. This is where the photos will come in handy, because until you see this, you won’t believe it. The mask is made of a heavy gauge plastic mesh. It originally is a flat stiff piece which is shaped like the silhouette of a person’s upper body (chest and head). The piece is soaked in water to make it pliable. The patient then lies on their back, and this pliable plastic is laid over their head and upper body, such that the plastic forms exactly to your unique shape. It does not sound so bad, until they bolt the mask down to the table in about ten places. They do this so the mask is extremely form fitting. Over time (20 minutes or so) the masks hardens. So there you are, lying on a table with a hard plastic mesh mask (bolted to the table) covering completely your head and upper body. Your arms are tied down, there is a tongue depressor shoved through the mash into your mouth, and they have you inside a CT machine. Do not worry. It only takes about an hour. It is medieval.
This only describes the very first time. From now on, we use the mask which is already made, and I will not be in a CT machine. I will, however, wear the mask and be bolted to the table with my hands tied down and a tongue depressor shoved in my mouth. The treatments could last roughly thirty minutes from beginning to end. Once finished the mask is removed. I sport a brilliant checkerboard pattern on my skin for several hours.
What a gas.
It has been some time now since we have updated our blog. Only yesterday, however, I started the radiation treatments which will continue for seven weeks. I wanted to keep everyone up to date on this, and tell you a little about the treatment. Photographs will come soon because this treatment is really unbelievable and difficult to describe.
The actual radiation itself is painless and brief. Once things get rolling, the radioactive beam is on less than ten minutes, and that comes in bursts. The nightmare of the treatment is getting prepped for the beam.
I’m not sure if I have shared this with you, but the treatment involves the use of a sophisticated mask which covers my head and torso approximately down to my heart. This is where the photos will come in handy, because until you see this, you won’t believe it. The mask is made of a heavy gauge plastic mesh. It originally is a flat stiff piece which is shaped like the silhouette of a person’s upper body (chest and head). The piece is soaked in water to make it pliable. The patient then lies on their back, and this pliable plastic is laid over their head and upper body, such that the plastic forms exactly to your unique shape. It does not sound so bad, until they bolt the mask down to the table in about ten places. They do this so the mask is extremely form fitting. Over time (20 minutes or so) the masks hardens. So there you are, lying on a table with a hard plastic mesh mask (bolted to the table) covering completely your head and upper body. Your arms are tied down, there is a tongue depressor shoved through the mash into your mouth, and they have you inside a CT machine. Do not worry. It only takes about an hour. It is medieval.
This only describes the very first time. From now on, we use the mask which is already made, and I will not be in a CT machine. I will, however, wear the mask and be bolted to the table with my hands tied down and a tongue depressor shoved in my mouth. The treatments could last roughly thirty minutes from beginning to end. Once finished the mask is removed. I sport a brilliant checkerboard pattern on my skin for several hours.
What a gas.
# posted by No Rain In Arizona @ 5:33 AM 
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R we live in Australia my husband had SNUCs had to wear the same mask tough going.M
# posted by 
: 3:51 AM
: 3:51 AM
I can't see a checkerboard without thinking of Bombie. I'm sure she's watching over you and making sure you'll be with us a good long time. Hang in there, guy.
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